Man knows that from Bertolt Brecht: We like to eat healthy, crunchy, fresh food – but the circumstances are not like that. And because time is short during a quick lunch break or after work, there is either no salad at all or the one cut out of the plastic pack. Or we throw away brownish, rotten heads of lettuce that just couldn’t find their way from the vegetable drawer into the bowl.
It’s not that difficult to keep lettuce cleaned yourself as a supply, some varieties, especially iceberg, but also romaine, can be kept for up to four days, a rustic lettuce from the market lasts at least two, more likely three. Dryness and good storage make it possible – it can even be done without plastic.
Ten minutes of spinning equals three or four days of crunchy fun on your plate.
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Image: Kai Felmy
It’s all about the spin
And the once-for-all cleaning isn’t as bad as it looks. Because first of all the leaves stay as big as possible. Bite-size chopped up before consumption. The lettuce is cut off from the stalk and peeled open, all brown and withered leaves and parts and particularly coarse ribs are removed. Wash thoroughly at least twice, paying attention to grains of sand, small insects and tiny snails! People like to eat organic, but not like that.
Then comes the most important thing: the lettuce is spun thoroughly but gently until it is as good as dry. This is best done in a salad spinner, even the cheap ones from the Swedish furniture store do a good job, and clever hobby chefs swear by the premium product.
The purchase is worthwhile, but if you still shy away from it, just throw a tea towel with the salad in it (and risk a wet kitchen). Then wrap the lettuce in a fresh tea towel, place it in a bowl, in a household bag or in the dried, sealable salad spinner itself. Put it in the fridge, remove in portions, but still look critically for brown spots when tearing. And you can also mix vinaigrette in advance.
